Department’s response to the Analytical Review
In July 2012 the Department for Education (DfE) conducted an Analytical
Review that looked into the role of research, analysis and data in the DfE,
English schools and - to a lesser extent -children’s services. It assessed
current systems and looked at the role for evidence in today’s more
autonomous, diverse education sector. The Department asked independent
reviewers - Dr Ben Goldacre and Roger Plant - to contribute to the review.
The review was a timely reminder about just how much data, research and
analysis matters: when we fail to use quality evidence, we waste public
money and we fail to improve outcomes for children. The review set out to
consider how the Department and the sector need to change in response.
The vision for change from the external reviewers, Dr Ben Goldacre and
Roger Plant, is ambitious and the Department’s intends to change its role in
response. Dr Ben Goldacre has recently presented his vision on how the
profession and wider education sector can become more evidence based. His
paper on ‘Building Evidence into Education’ sets out the detail. The
Department agrees with the vision of an evidence driven Department and
education sector - there are significant benefits from moving towards this
vision.
Today the Department has published Roger Plant’s findings and
recommendations on Data Systems and on the role of the Department which
sit alongside Dr Goldacre’s paper.
In the Data Systems report, Roger Plant reviews our existing data systems
and identifies a clear need for a real time data system to enable sharing of
more data more efficiently. We accept the recommendations set out and
have already made progress towards implementation. We are engaging with
data experts and suppliers to create a significantly more efficient system – a
data exchange model - that will ensure real time information on schools and
pupils (plus wider Children’s Services) is available to government, schools,
parents and third parties.
The report on ‘The Department’ sets out recommendations on how the
Department can support the vision. The Department has a part to play in
supporting and enabling the sector, and also in building evidence into our
policy work. We have begun to so by:
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investing significantly in the Education Endowment Foundation which
was recently named as a ‘what works’ centre as part of the focus this
Government is placing on evidence. We are considering what more the
Department can and should do ourselves and how we support
teachers, the profession and researchers too;
establishing an internal Research Board to oversee the transformation
of our research activity by identifying the most important evidence
gaps, working with external organisations to fill those gaps through
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robust research, and ensuring the findings are clearly communicated
and more accessible;
raising awareness of Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) in the
department – kicked off with a seminar by Dr Goldacre held on 25
February - and considering where we can use this approach more
actively: including through new National College initiatives with
Teaching Schools such as the ‘Test and Learn’ scheme; and
driving behaviour and culture change across the Department to
increase the use of evidence in policy and delivery.
Achieving the vision will be a challenge that requires change in the way both
the Department and the sector work. Reform will also be an opportunity to
make a bigger impact on improving outcomes for children and young people.
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